Just because you're a broke college student doesn't mean you have to live like one…

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In order to keep yourself happy and sane, you should take some time out from your busy schedule everyday and pamper yourself even if only for five minutes. With finals on the horizon, and the stress of the holidays upon us, it is vital that you still take time out for yourself once in a while and do something that you enjoy. Today I decided to take a break from studying for a few hours, and have a mid-afternoon movie date with myself. I ordered some sushi from my go-to sushi place Sake II (they have an amazing lunch special 2 rolls+miso soup+salad for $6.50!) and popped in my $5 Cyber Monday purchase from Amazon: Bridesmaids. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is hilarious!

My one and only Cyber Monday purchase

Everyday I try to make sure I do something I enjoy like…

Taking a stroll through the NY Botanical Gardens (free for Fordham students)

or…

Preparing an awesome meal

or…

Spending time with some of your favorite people (like my two big little brothers)

Whether you have five minutes or five hours, make sure you do something positive for yourself everyday! Here are some more things I like to take a little time out to do:

This is what I had for dinner last night. And breakfast this morning. And I’ll probably have it for lunch today. Why you ask? Because this salad is so freaking good. I might as well call it crack salad because if you make it I’m warning you you’ll be a full blown addict after one bite.

I got the idea for this salad when I bought fennel at the Arthur ave market and the owner gave me free arugula! If you’ve never had fennel with arugula, it’s a match made in heaven. Here’s the recipe:

I love love love Christmas. I love the decorations, the cookies and the excuse to wear cherry-red 24/7 for an entire month. I love wearing red for Christmas, but I hate being in the red when it comes to holiday shopping. Christmas is supposed to be about love and holiday cheer, but many have a blue Christmas as the credit card statements come rolling in. This year I am budgeting $25 tops per person. Seeing as I only have four family members and my friends and I do Pollyanna, this should not be a budget busting Christmas for me. So how do you give a great gift without spending a ton of dough? It’s super easy if you just know where to look! Here are a few of my favorite frugal gift finds/suggestions! (Believe me there is more coming so be sure to watch out in the next few weeks!)

For Dad:

Vosges Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix $12...be the best daughter/son ever and make him the pancakes too!

For Mom:

Etsy Print $18, Great for a home office or the kitchen...I don't understand why more people don't give art for gifts

WordPress just informed me that my last post was my 21st post (yay!) and to ring in my 21st post, I decided that my next post should be about one of the pluses of being 21: legal drinking. Now, I’m no lush, but I have to be honest, I love a good margarita (It’s all about the salt baby) and a great glass of dry red wine. Unfortunately, the price of a drink in New York is about the same as my college tuition. Luckily, my fellow blogger Kylie has some great tips on how to stretch your drinking dollars. Here are some of her suggestions!
Times are hard but that doesn’t have to stop every college student breaking the bank when it comes to going out and drinking, despite living in one of the priciest cities in the nation. Here are some ways to enjoy going out (or staying in) without there being plastic liquor bottles involved (queue reactionary gag)

1. Pick your liquor carefully: The $10 bottle of Tequila may be tempting, but save yourself the hangover. Good, cheap booze does exist.

Unless you want to party with these guys, I suggest buying liquor that you won't be embarassed to take out of the brown paper bag

Gin: Gordon’s London Dry Gin $15, 80 proof
Great for mixing cocktails and with tonic water.

Vodka: Pinnacle $12.99, 70 proof
They have every flavor from Apple to Le Double Expresso but, my favorites are the Whipped and Cotton Candy. The sweetness masks the alcohol incredibly.

Rum: Bacardi, $16.99, 70 proof
Mix with punch, coke, or pretty much any beverage and your cost per drink is so low, you’re practically stealing.

Travelzoo’s Local Deals is one of my favorite and right now they’re offering this deal for six cocktails at the Dream Hotel for $39. Assuming you’ll split that between a friend, that’s 20 bucks for 3 specialty cocktails which would normally cost $45. Or take all the drinks for yourself and have a dreamy night. Groupon also occasionally has specials on wine and liquors.

4. BYOB

Pick restaurants that are BYOB, just make sure to find out before arriving if they have a corking fee.

5. Watch your intake: Just because you’ve saved a ton of cash on liquor doesn’t give you the excuse to get absolutely blitzkrieged drunk. Also, keep the embarrassing pictures to a minimum. Your Facebook with thank you in the morning.

A designer makeup compact can cost an arm and a leg….or at least a night out on the town, and as a college student I’m not willing to sacrifice my social life for a tube of lipstick. In high school when I had a part-time job and my only big expense was gas for my car, I could afford to buy the “good” stuff. Chanel eyeliner, MAC eyeshadow and Yves Saint Laurent Mascara were essentials in my makeup bag. That isn’t the case now. I am a drugstore convert. Here are a few of my makeup case necessities:

1. Eyeliner

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Eyeliner in Black...I like to use this for nights out

Almay Pencil Eyeliner in Dark Brown...This is my go-to, everyday eyeliner. It stays on all day and there is no sharpening required!

2. Foundation/Powder

Maybelline's Fit Me Pressed Powder...Lightweight, it is a great everyday powder

3. Eyeshadow

Maybelline's Expert Eye Shadow Quad

5. Moisturizer

CVS Night cream (I actually use this during that day because my skin gets so dry in the winter)

6. Lips

Tinted Nivea Lip Care (If you're not a big lipstick/lipgloss person this is a great option!)

**HELP**: I still have yet to find a great mascara to replace my beloved Yves Saint Laurent. For some strange reason I seem to be allergic to all Covergirl Mascara, and I have tried many Maybelline mascaras including Lash Stiletto, Great Lash and others and I’m not a fan. Anyone have a great, clump-free lengthening mascara that I can get at Walgreens or CVS? Also, I’m almost finished with my moisturizer so does anyone have any suggestions for a new (preferably with SPF) moisturizer? Let me know!

Ah the great debate: Netflix v. Amazon Instant Video. Now, with all the crap Netflix has been getting (some of it VERY well deserved), you may think I will automatically side with Amazon Instant Video. Wrong. Each service has its pros and cons, so I think I’ll let you decide this one…

Netflix Pros: It has a much larger selection than Amazon Instant Video, it is very easy to use, Instant Queue>Amazon’s Wishlist

Netflix Cons: More expensive than Amazon Prime at $7.99/month or $95.88/year, I have had some streaming issues, the site has crashed on occasion, and you can’t buy/rent a new movie directly from the site.

Amazon Instant Video Pros: With a student-discount Amazon Prime account video streaming and free shipping is only $39/year (FYI: You can sign up for a free student Prime account that just includes free 2-day shipping for one year), it has many of the same titles as Netflix, you can rent newer titles online instantly

Amazon Instant Video Cons: It USED to be included in the free student Prime account (I’m not bitter I promise…), I can’t stand the look of it and find it difficult to use, the suggested movies/shows section just doesn’t make the cut compared to Netflix’s.

I personally prefer Netflix because of their selection (oh hi Twin Peaks) and user-friendly system, but if you just want an instant video service for occasional use, I’d go with Amazon Instant.